Monthly morsels - May

Eating is like breathing, it is essential to us, allowing the most aspirational of us to put ourselves on a plate and declare – this is me. Nothing could be simpler or more delicious than a crust of fresh bread, dipped in fresh green olive oil (or unsalted butter) and sparsely scattered with fleur de sel.

A fresh langoustine or juicy crustacean is never better than freshly grilled to release its essential briny flavours, eaten with feverish fingers, hands glistening with sticky pieces of white flesh and running with juices. And, perhaps, if you are feeling greedy, or even generous, a blob of fresh aioli on the side to dip your plump prawn into. Pour a cool glass of crisp, delicate rosé to eat alongside.

What about a hand-made, butter pastry tart filled with alternate slices of fresh goats cheese, sweet sun-kissed, fat, red tomatoes and soft Tomme. Pour over a generous slug of olive oil and scatter plenty of freshly chopped parsley, mint, rosemary and thyme – bake until the pastry is golden, the cheeses melted and the tomatoes soft and caramelised – eat with blooming handfuls of soft, green butterhead lettuce.



Finally slice fat slices of gently perfumed rock melon, pull out the seeds and serve glistening to your guests, whose mouths will be watering at the very sight of this orange-fleshed globe of ambrosial summer delight.